Modern Express News (Reporter Ma Zhuangzhuang, Sun Suwan Text/photo) Can it still be called wine without alcohol? The World Cup starts and watching games while drinking beer is a very enjoyable thing for some fans. A reporter from Modern Express found that the alcohol-free beer , which claims to be non-alcoholic, has become popular, providing a new way of drinking. Alcohol is not a concept that was born recently. A domestic brand launched related products in 2002. In recent years, wine brands have once again made efforts in this track, and new products are emerging one after another. In fact, according to relevant standards, alcohol-free beer is not completely alcohol-free. If you drink too much and drink more, you may detect alcohol when you investigate and deal with drunk driving.
is called beer, but without alcohol
Is it a drink or wine? In fact, alcohol-flavored beverages on the market are not uncommon, and they appeared many years ago. The beer tea that most post-90s remember is a beer-style drink, with a taste that is both like sparkling water and beer. In addition, a soda with a white wine flavor was also popular some time ago. The top notes of the soda were the white wine flavor, which made it unique to sparkling water when it entered the mouth, and it was rich in layers. However, alcohol-free wine is still different from these drinks.
On November 30, a reporter from Modern Express visited some supermarkets in Nanjing. This type of wine is relatively rare, and the reporter only saw it in some convenience stores for sale. At a convenience store near Xinjiekou , the reporter saw an alcohol-free craft beer. The outer packaging has the words "zero %" printed on it, and the small words below indicate that its alcohol content is 0%vol. However, in the ingredients list, the reporter saw the common raw materials in beer such as malt , hops, and yeast . So how does this product be alcohol-free? The reporter called the production company and the staff said that the product was wine, and the production process used the method of brewing beer, but the alcohol in it was removed through technical means.
Alcohol-free beer is not an alcohol-free
△A alcohol-free beer sold in online stores
is different from offline stores, and the types of alcohol-free beer in online shopping platforms are more diverse. The reporter browsed and found that a certain brand of alcohol-free beer focuses on the concept of 0 fat, low sugar, healthy and non-ol. On the product promotion page, there are also slogans such as "No alcohol is more happy, good taste, no fear of more". The raw materials of this beer include water, malt, rice, and hops. The original wort concentration is ≥3.0°P, and the alcohol content is ≤0.3%vol. However, there is a prompt in the product that although the degree is low, consumers are advised not to drive after drinking. This product has 330ml bottles, a box of 24 cans, priced at 79 yuan, and the monthly sales are 500+. Some consumers in the comment area said that it has a beer smell and it is good to be a drink after refrigeration.
In addition to beer, there are also imported supermarkets selling dehydrated sparkling wine , with an alcohol content of 0% vol, and similar processes include alcohol-free wines. A reporter from Modern Express checked the current recommended standard GB/T4927-2008 "Beer", which is used for the production, inspection and sales of beer. Standard terms and definitions mention a variety of beer, including low-alcohol beer and non-alcohol beer. The definition of low-alcohol beer is that beer with an alcohol content of 0.6%vol-2.5%vol, except for its characteristics, other requirements should comply with the provisions of the corresponding type of beer; the definition of non-alcohol beer is that beer with an alcohol content of less than or equal to 0.5%vol and a raw wort concentration of more than or equal to 3.0°P, other requirements should comply with the provisions of the corresponding type of beer except its characteristics. It is understood that the China Alcohol Industry Association mentioned in the group standard for non-alcohol beer released in 2021 that non-alcohol beer is beer with an alcohol content of less than or equal to 0.5% vol. In other words, alcohol-free beer is not completely alcohol-free. In comparison, the reporter also checked several common brands of beer, with varying alcohol content, some ≥3.3%vol and some ≥3.6%vol.
, professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, introduced that the alcohol content of ordinary beers is mostly around 4 degrees, and some craft beers will reach 7 degrees-8 degrees. The production of alcohol-free beer still uses the brewing process. The production process requires fermentation, but the ethanol in it is vaporized.According to GB/T4927-2008 "Beer", the alcohol content of alcohol is less than or equal to 0.5%vol. So can you drive after drinking alcohol? Li Wei said that although the alcohol in alcohol-free beer has become lower, as long as there is alcohol in the wine, driving after drinking is risky, and it does not mean that the driver can drink it with confidence. If you drink too much and drink more, alcohol may be detected when you check and deal with the drunk driving. If the ethanol content is 0, you can drink it with confidence.
△The alcohol content of alcohol-free beer is less than 0.05%vol
more than 5 wine brands are focusing on the alcohol-free track
Modern Express reporters learned that the history of alcohol-free beer in my country is not short, and a brand launched alcohol-free beer products as early as 2002. The "New Year's Beer Report" released by an e-commerce platform at the beginning of this year showed that alcohol-free beer is very popular because it is more in line with people's growing concept of health, and its transaction volume in 2021 increased by 8 times year-on-year.
Nowadays, many wine companies are making efforts in the ol-free track. Chongqing Beer, the fourth largest beer company in China, said in an analysis of the industry structure in in 2021 Annual Report that diversification is one of the characteristics of the Chinese beer industry. "Consumers' needs have surpassed the traditional mainstream core beer and are more diversified. Products such as craft beer, specialty beer, fruity wine, and alcohol-free beer are increasingly valued by major beer companies." In this regard, Chongqing Beer launched alcohol-free beer in January 2022.
In addition to traditional wine companies launching alcohol-free wines, a number of new brands have emerged in this track, and New Zero Beer is one of them. The reporter learned from public information that Xinze Beer is an alcohol-free craft brand. It was established in September 2020. Although it has been established for only two years, it has gained the favor of capital. In September 2021, New Zero Beer completed a angel round of financing for tens of millions of yuan, led by Hillhouse Venture Capital and followed by Canglan Capital. In July 2022, it completed its Pre-A round of financing, led by Hongtai Fund , and followed by Canglan Capital.
(Some pictures are screenshots of the Internet)
